Explore the hidden (and not so hidden) corners of France with master tour guide Daniel Benchimol.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Join Daniel on his discovery of Dourdan, a small town in the Essonne department. This charming place is filled with history and boasts a thirteenth-century covered market that has been rebuilt over the years and is still in use today.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel takes us inside the castle of Dourdan, with its belfry, arrow loops, and many fortifications. This castle has a somewhat unusual history: find out why its roof was knocked off and why it was pretty much impregnable.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Dourdan is a historic town with a magnificent church called the Église de Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois. Renamed the "Temple of Victorious Reason" during the Revolution, the church now contains a statue that bears a striking resemblance to Darth Vader (known as Dark Vador in France).
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the last episode on the town of Dourdan, Daniel shows us the Abbaye de L'Ouÿe (literally, "Hearing Abbey"). Legend has it that King Louis VII commissioned it in honor of his friends and loved ones who heard his cries when he was lost in the forest one day.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Join Daniel Benchimol on his tour of the quaint town of Fourqueux. There, you will find a magnificent house where Victor Hugo, the famous French poet and writer, once stayed. Adding to the historic atmosphere, old road markers and vintage hand-painted advertising signs are a great reminder of a colorful past.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to the town of Poissy, about twenty kilometers from Paris. The town name is derived from the word poisson (fish) due to its once important fishing industry.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Don't miss this rendezvous with Daniel Benchimol in the town of Poissy near Paris. Enjoy a visit to a twelfth-century Romanesque church called the Collégiale de Poissy. You can also visit its priory, which now houses a toy museum to the delight of the little ones.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Daniel Benchimol takes us to Médan, a small town to the north of Paris. In addition to a few fifteenth-century landmarks, this town attracted famous poets and writers. Among those writers was Émile Zola, although in this video, he's featured in another capacity that might surprise you.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our visit to Médan, where you will discover some perfectly preserved wash houses, among other things.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
We continue our visit to Médan where Daniel Benchimol takes us to the Dreyfus Museum, inaugurated in October 2021. There, you will discover a sad part of French history when anti-Semitism was rife.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Next to the Dreyfus Museum stands Emile Zola's house, which you can also visit. The famous writer financed his estate with the proceeds from his novels, and he even named the two towers he later added after two of his novels. He also hosted many of the biggest names in French literature and art.
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